Today’s News

Tonight's TV Hot List: Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010

The Mentalist10/9c CBS The beauty of this series is that Jane's character is so meticulously defined and so much fun to watch that some plots are relished before the show is even seen, simply because it's so easy to imagine what he will do. Tonight's is one such plot and so Sherlock Holmesian: a murder-and-missing-person case on the heavily guarded compound of a wealthy family. — Bill Ecklund

Project Runway9/8c Lifetime There will be sew much pressure when Season 8 comes to a close in the conclusion of the two-part finale. Weepy devastation was the result when contestant Michael was ousted in Part 1, leaving the fab final trio of Andy, Mondo and Gretchen to duke it out tonight for top Fashion Week honors. It's a two-hour runway takeoff that irons out all the couture dramas, reunites past contestants and evidently leads to one of the toughest decisions in Runway history. Pop songstress Jessica Simpson is the guest judge. — Dean Maurer

Grey's Anatomy9/8c ABC Tonight's medical cases aren't unusual for a TV show: a double arm transplant; a guest-star patient (Mandy Moore); a cute-as-a-button girl perilously close to death. But the episode is filmed documentary-style, as a local TV crew records life at the hospital six months after the shooting rampage. This day-in-the-life format focuses mostly on OR dramatics, doctor-patient interaction and security issues (which constantly flummox Lexie), but one major love-front development does manage to slip through. — Paul Droesch

Scared Shrekless8/7c NBC 'Tis the season for Shrek's favorite holiday: Halloween. Excited to celebrate the big day, Shrek (Mike Myers) challenges Fiona, Donkey and the gang to spend a full night in Lord Farquaad's haunted castle, telling scary stories. Whoever makes it through the night with their courage intact wins, but the ogre and friends quickly discover that's no easy task. Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas reprise their roles as Princess Fiona and Puss in Boots in this animated tale, respectively, while Dean Edwards takes on the role of Donkey. — Brie Hearn

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown8/7c ABC Viewers get an extra treat during this one-hour presentation of the Charles Schulz Halloween classic. In addition to Chuck's unexpected party invite, Snoopy's duel with the Red Baron and Linus' preparation for the Great Pumpkin, the deal is sweetened with a bonus cartoon of Linus running for class president.

The Office9/8c NBC The on-target mockumentary has scared up tricky Halloween episodes in the past. There weren't any treats for Pam in 2008 when she was the only one to show up wearing a costume, and last season the branch organized a too-creepy haunted house for community children. The scare fare continues tonight when the staffers organize a Halloween costume contest, creating an overly competitive undercurrent in the office. Meanwhile, Darryl offers an idea to corporate himself, leaving Michael in a fuming, frightful state. And Pam is haunted by her history with Danny (Timothy Olyphant). — Dean MaurerIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia10/9c FX Who made Dee pregnant? She tells the guys that it was one them (her father and brother definitely included). She won't say which one, but she does say that it happened during a Halloween party they can't remember much of because they were so drunk. So begins tonight's loopy Halloween episode, during which they try to jog their very hazy memories. Suffice it to say that they recall things differently, as do Artemis (Artemis Pebdani) and the McPoyle brothers (Nate Mooney and Jimmi Simpson). Incidentally, new mom Kaitlin Olson is visibly pregnant in the episode. — Paul Droesch